Here is the link to the video of me talking! Whooppee!!!

They dubbed me “Cancer Survivor & Eternal Optimist” LOVE LOVE it!!

What a wonderful way to start the day…(and I am going to embed the video here as well, just in case)

Surrendering to what is when my thighs are screaming in yoga. Surrendering to what is when an infertility doctor apologizes for the state of my ovaries – “All that chemo, really ran them through the ringer.” Or being in a new town (again) and feeling the sense of sideways sharpness. Surrendering into that feeling of new places and new faces and not knowing where to find things and to know that things will get better.

So we have been moving forward with implanting our frozen embryos (that I wrote about in the book) and things were moving right along. Suddenly last night, I get a phone call from the doctor, he does not feel comfortable moving forward until and unless I get a recent scan and a bill of clear health from someone other than a MD in the Philippines who is testing my urine every few months.

Surrender, whoof. My pain body is loving this one.

Let’s see if I can not name what is happening – not put a label as to whether this is good or bad – just surrendering to what is.

Time to watch some Eckhart Tolle to help me.

A Deeper Understanding of the Pain-Body and the Little Me – Day 1 – 2 from et on Vimeo.

Wednesday night: One of our first restaurants to join us in New York City was Northern Spy. A brisk walk through the deepening dusk along Broadway and a lesson on NYC geography brought us to the bustling warmth of deliciousness. Beautifully presented, perfectly cooked – old favorites like the kale salad joisted for space with pear salad, roasted cauliflower, meatballs, and duck sausage. Bravissima!

Corinna and Erin Fairbanks jamming for Heritage Radio.

Thursday: Lindsay P and Corinna were interviewed on Heritage Radio’s the Farm Report by Erin Fairbanks(a former Ann Arborite herself). Check it out to learn what comestibles means and hear Lindsay wax eloquent about the Food Warriors (third group started yesterday!)

Then we all went to meet Amanda Hesser and Alex Lutz of Food 52 to learn more about what they are doing and whether we can help each other out! You can use their Hotline to ask questions of cooking experts all over the country (Have a favorite recipe you want to use and your vegan cousin is visiting, they can help you!)

Karl, Cara, Amanda, Alex, Lindsay P., and Gaurav at our meeting with Food 52.

Friday: Cara practiced the speech. Interviews were given – three interviews posted to date (more to come)! Read about us in the Vail Daily, With Respect for Food, and Grist. The team reveled in the view of the Hudson at Print (another great RTF restaurant) for the TEDx preparty. Finally, as rosy fingered dawn began to think about stretching forth, we launched a whole new front page of the website! Bravo Karl and Gaurav!

Saturday: The talks for this years TEDx Manhattan (hopefully which will be posted online in less than a month) ran the full gambit. Dr. David Wallinga from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) shared with us that, “80% of the antibiotics in this country go into animal feed as a preventative.” Urvashi Rangan, Director of the Consumer Safety and Sustainability Group for Consumer Reports, beautifully explained the toothlessness and obfuscation endemic in labels and labeling. Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of The Humane Societyof the United States (HSUS), went directly to the contradiction in our society: “We have federal laws against dog fighting…but do we care about farm animals?”

All of the TedX speakers!!

Just when the heart, bludgeoned with pictures of concentrated feeding operations/chickens with combs the color of sandpaper (they should be dark red) and pierced with visions of antibiotic resistant superbugs, felt unable to pump on – stories of food angels bounced forth.

Howard Hinterthuer, Communications Coordinator at the Center for Veterans Issues – Wisconsin’s largest community-based veteran’s service organization and peer-to-peer mentor in CVI’s Organic Therapy Program, shared what they are doing. There was not a dry eye in the house as his talk concluded with a Vietnam Vet sharing, “this program has saved my life.” The Green Bronx Machine’s Stephen Ritz launched the room to a standing ovation with his energy and enthusiasm – his students have grown over 25,000 pounds of vegetables and learned to install indoor edible walls. Gary Oppenheimer, founder/executive director of the AmpleHarvest.orgCampaign, has created an online platform for home gardeners to donate their harvest to local food pantries.

Cara graced the stage with poise and beauty at the Times Center

The first person to speak in the innovation category was Cara – and we think (in our own unbiased opinion) she was perfect. The Cyberworld has two favorite quotes. One from our friend Brandon Johns of the Grange, “We spend so much time researching a tv, but we’ll go and buy a chicken anywhere”. The other from our Fall 2011 Food Warrior, Callie Heron, “without transparency, we have no choice.”

Thank you New York for a wonderful few days!

Here is the post on Real Time Farms blog.

I will not talk about having a dressing room or being treated like a princess or sweating in a silk jewel toned shirt. I will not talk about the beautiful voice of “What if” that wonders what I would have said if I had not been so excited – or whether I even really remember what I said at all.

Hopefully it will air soon, and this mystery will disappear. Cheers to sharing and cheers to dreaming of sausage!

It was an amazing week and I am SO grateful for the opportunity. Thank you Universe!

The Year of the Dragon starts January 23rd, 2012.

and here is the description of those of us lucky enough to be born in this year (also courtesy or Wikipedia)

Dragon – 龍 / 龙 (辰) (Yang, 1st Trine, Fixed Element Wood): Magnanimous, stately, vigorous, strong, self-assured, proud, noble, direct, dignified, eccentric, intellectual, fiery, passionate, decisive, pioneering, artistic, generous, loyal. Can be tactless, arrogant, imperious, tyrannical, demanding, intolerant, dogmatic, violent, impetuous, brash.

——

This description of me – is, as I write with both dignity and strength – bang on (and who knows if that is the chicken or the egg on that one). Ah well…

The other part of this Year of the Dragon shenigans that I love is that my MOTHER is also born in the year of the Dragon and so was my paternal grandfather. And my father loves dragons – good thing too, because he ended up with two of them.

Happy New Year! Cheers to Dragons and Dragon Doings!